How much does a baby shower cost?

Most baby shower budgets in the UK land between £300 and £900 all in. Where yours falls depends on three decisions: the venue style, how many guests you invite, and how much of the styling you do yourself. Here is what each part actually costs.

Venue and catering

Most venues price showers per head rather than charging room hire, particularly for afternoon tea and buffet formats. Realistic ranges:

• Pub or community function room buffet: £12 to £20 per person, often with free room hire above a minimum spend
• Tea room or restaurant afternoon tea: £18 to £35 per person in a private or semi-private space
• Hotel function room with catering: £20 to £40 per person, sometimes with a room fee of £50 to £200 on top
• Manor house or country estate: £30 to £60 per person, with minimum spends more common
• Blank canvas studio: £25 to £60 per hour for the space, with catering arranged separately

Always ask what the per-person price includes and whether a minimum spend or service charge applies. Venue listings on this site show pricing up front so you can compare like for like before enquiring.

Decorations

A balloon garland kit, a banner and table styling done yourself costs £50 to £120. A professionally installed balloon arch runs £80 to £250. If you choose a venue that already looks the part, a tea room or manor house, you can spend far less here; a blank canvas space shifts budget from catering to styling. Our themes and decorations guide covers what earns its keep.

Cake and extras

A custom celebration cake costs £40 to £120 depending on size and detail; a supermarket celebration cake dressed with fresh flowers costs under £25 and looks the part. Favours are entirely optional, £1 to £3 per guest if you do them. Games cost almost nothing beyond printing and a few small prizes.

Total budgets by group size

• Intimate shower, 10 to 15 guests: £250 to £600 for afternoon tea with simple styling
• Classic shower, 20 to 30 guests: £500 to £1,200 at a pub, tea room or hotel
• Large mixed shower, 40 plus guests: £1,000 to £2,500 depending on venue and catering level

These assume the host or a group of friends is paying; splitting the cost between two or three co-hosts is common and entirely proper.

Ways to keep costs down

Sunday afternoons and weekdays are often cheaper than Saturdays, and venues are more flexible on minimum spends then. Ask whether you can bring your own cake (some venues charge a small cakeage fee, many do not). Choose a venue that needs no styling rather than paying to transform a plain one. And trim the guest list before trimming the food; a smaller shower with generous catering beats a larger one with rationed sandwiches every time.